Love is in the Air
by fading ink
Summary: Nothing special really. A HarukoxHanamichi fic with a tiny bit of fluff. Slight YoheixFuji. It's just an ordinary day where Haruko and Hanamichi bump into each other on the court. This story is just your everday mushy Valentine's fic.


Summary: It's Valentine's Day again and Sakuragi is contemplating whether he should tell Haruko about his feelings or not. Haruko is starting to think that she likes Hanamichi too but is still confused with her feelings. What will happen when fate brings them face to face on Valentine's Day? Sakuragi has suffered a lot of heartbreaks and Haruko's love for a certain kitsune is unrequited. Will they find comfort in each other? Read and find out.

Warning: It's just a one-shot. There's not much fluff here. I am not sappy enough to create such monstrosity. By the way, this is my first SD fic. Constructive criticism would be greatly appreciated.

Disclaimer: Takehiko Inoue owns Slam Dunk. No matter how much I wish for it, it does not belong to me.

On with the story!

Love is in the Air 

Valentines Day. A special day for lovers all around the world. The perfect day to let out your innermost feelings to your loved one. Or maybe not so perfect in case of a certain redheaded, self-proclaimed tensai. On that particular day, that certain redhead sauntered through the hallways of Shohoku High, with languid strides, oblivious of his surroundings. One hand was carrying the schoolbag slung over his right shoulder and the other inside the pocket of his black trousers. Anyone who did not know him wouldn't have noticed anything out if the ordinary regarding his appearance. But someone who did know him would definitely have noticed something different. Each step he took had a purpose, the pace of his long strides were slower than usual. His broad shoulders were hunched, showing that he was tense. His mouth was firmly pursed into a frown and his eyebrows were furrowed with concentration. There was no sign of that usual lopsided grin. His face emitted seriousness as if he was deep in thought (HA! Imagine Sakuragi actually thinking seriously!) and that only happens once in a blue moon. He wasn't singing his usual self-made, self-praising monstrosity 'Ore wa Tensai' and that jolly air about him was gone. Something was bothering him, that much was evident. Sakuragi Hanamichi was clearly thinking about something seriously, which was very much unlike his usual self.

His train of thoughts was mostly about a pretty brunette who had always given him her utmost support through thick and thin, who had always believed in him when others hadn't. An image of her waving at him flashed in his mind. Nicely carved figure, delicate fingers clutching her schoolbag, silky, shoulder length brown tresses, soft baby blue eyes enveloped with thick black eyelashes, cute nose, a prominent chin, kissable, rose-colored lips and that warm smile. It wasn't just any smile. It was a smile that reached her eyes, a smile filled with the warmth that only she possessed. No pretence. Her smile was genuine.

Yup, that was what Hanamichi had fallen in love with – her smile. And to top it all off, there was her kindness. Sakuragi Hanamichi was definitely in love.

He thought back to the days when he would fall head over heels for every single girl he saw. Fifty rejections in three years was not easy to cope with. He continued down the hallway, still oblivious of his surroundings. It was a miracle how he had not bumped into someone. He didn't think he could go on if Haruko rejected him. He knew that if it came to that he would never dare fall in love again. What he and Haruko had was special, even rare because it was hard to find this type of friendship between a man and a woman.

Friendship? Yeah, Haruko and I are friends. Would I really risk everything we have just by confessing to her? I am lucky enough as it is that she's my friend. I can't ask any more of her. No, I can't expect anything more. Besides, there is that baka kitsune. Damn you, kitsune! I don't know what she sees in him. I'll just get rejected if I do confess and it's all because of that kitsune. Feh. That kitsune will never be able to steal my Haruko away as long as I am here. That's because I am the tensai! A tensai does not fear anything, especially that kitsune! Nyahahahaa!

"Nyahahahaa!" He insanely laughed aloud at the thought. The jolly air that usually surrounded him had returned and any seriousness he had before had disappeared into thin air in the blink of an eye. Every head in the hallway turned to see the redhead laughing insanely to himself. They all had one thought in mind –_ Why does he always laugh out loud for no apparent reason?_

And with that the 'tensai' walked out of the hallway to the school gate, all the while singing 'Ore wa Tensai'

Yup, Sakuragi Hanamichi was back to his overconfident 'tensai' self.

Sadly, he still had no idea that Haruko had long before gotten over his arch nemesis. And with that he walked off to the basketball court near Haruko's house.

Hariko Akagi packed up her belongings as the bell rang indicating the end of the last class for the day. She walked towards her friend, Fuji, who was waiting for her at the classroom door.

"Shall we go then?" Fuji greeted.

"Hm" Haruko nodded cheerily. There was no basketball practice because it was Valentine's Day. She was free for the whole afternoon.

Now in her second year at high school, Haruko, if possible, had turned even more beautiful, though as always she was blissfully unaware of it. Her features were still the same; she still had that warm smile. Everything about her was the same except that she had unexpectedly gotten an inch or two taller, which would make her about around five feet and six inches. Basketball was in her veins. She was still as enthusiastic about the sport as ever. Guess she was taking after her aniki, Takenori, also the former team captain, who had just graduated last year. She had long gotten over her infatuation with Rukawa Kaede, the emotionless ace of the team. Being the new assistant team manageress, she now wanted nothing more than to have a good working relationship with him. She had known from the beginning that her love for Rukawa would remain unrequited and when she finally came to accept it, she felt like a heavy burden had been lifted off her chest. She had finally realized that there was more to life than just Rukawa Kaede. Her heart no longer fluttered for him and she no longer blushed at the sight of him. Her life was perfect. She had school, family, friends like Fuji and Matsui, basketball, new responsibilities as the assistant team manageress and then there was that person she had always supported through thick and thin, Hanamichi.

Yes, Hanamichi Sakuragi. He was unique. With flaming red hair, and the height of a basketball player he easily stood out among the crowd. Not only was he unique in appearance, but also in personality. She had introduced him to the basketball team because she had seen potential in him. He had surprised everyone by learning ultra-quick and then there was his always-confident-no-matter-what personality. Haruko had never gotten so close to anyone, let alone a guy, only within a year of knowing them. Hanamichi was just …well, Hanamichi. Other than her brother he was the only male she was close to at the moment.

Haruko smiled blissfully at the thought of Hanamichi. He was special indeed. Her thoughts were interrupted by Fuji.

"Haruko, do you have anyone special? Today's Valentine's Day after all. You get love letters every day. With your looks you are bound to have a boyfriend. So tell me, who is it?"

"Boyfriend?" Haruko blinked, letting her friend's question sink in. Hananmichi's face suddenly flashed in her mind out of the blue. Blood rushed to her cheeks. She shook her head vigorously, "Me? N-no"

Fuji sighed at her friend's answer. Haruko could be so naïve sometimes. She knew that Hanamichi was crazy about her friend. There was Hanamichi there right in front of her. How could Haruko not see that?

Fuji decided to tease Haruko about that certain redhead.

"You don't have a boyfriend? Really? What about Hanamichi? Huh?"

Haruko's face was now as red as a tomato. She stuttered, "What! T-there is n-nothing like that between us. Hanamichi and I are just friends!" Aren't we?

Haruko thought back to all the times Hanamichi's cheeks would turn red every time he caught sight of her after practice. She had always thought that it was nothing more than the aftermath of hard training. But now that she thought about it, Hanamichi definitely did act differently around her. Her cheeks were still a bit pink when she abruptly decided to change the subject.

"Anyway, Fuji. Do you have someone special?"

Now it was Fuji's turn to blush.

"Well … ah, yeah, I do." She said meekly.

"Really? Who is it?" Her eyes were sparkling with excitement.

"Hey, ladies. What are you two doing here?" Yohei Mito was heading towards them from the other side of the hallway. With hands in his pockets, he grinned in that silly way of his.

"Yohei!" Both girls exclaimed.

"Happy Valentine's Day, Yohei." Fuji's head was downcast. She looked away trying to hide her blush but Haruko saw it anyway. She could have sworn that she saw a tinge of pink on Yohei's cheeks too.

Upon the sudden realization, Haruko abruptly said, "Well, I'll be leaving now. Have fun you two."

Before she left though, she whispered in Fuji's ear, "Go for it."

With that she left the two blushing lovebirds and headed towards the school's main gate. As she thought of her two

love-struck friends, her thoughts again drifted to Hanamichi. Unbeknownst to her, a blush made its way to her cheeks and she smiled. Anyone who would have seen her then would definitely have figured that she was thinking about her special someone on Valentine's Day.

Maybe I do feel something for Hanamichi. Wait! I can't believe that I just thought that. Hanamichi is a friend but he is… special in another way. I don't know how but he is. Maybe I do love him. Ugh! What am I thinking? It must be because of Valentine's Day. You know what they say – Love is in the air.

And with that last thought she headed towards the basketball court near her house to practice her lay-ups. Maybe practicing would get her mind off Hanamichi.

Little did she know that a certain redhead was heading towards the same court.

Haruko reached her house and changed into a T-shirt and maroon basketball shorts. She packed some necessities like water and a towel and shoved the basketball in her sports bag. It had almost become a routine. Every day, if she was free, she would go to the court in the afternoon to practice. The court would usually be deserted around that time of day and so it was the perfect place to practice without interruptions. Sometimes she would bump into the redhead and that was just fine with her. They practiced one on one with each other and that helped Sakuragi improve greatly. However, today she was not sure whether she wanted to bump into the redhead there or not. Her heart fluttered with strange anticipation but somehow she felt intimidated today. Ever since that talk with Fuji her heart had been thumping non-stop. She took a deep breath and entered the court. It was deserted.

Good. Nobody's here.

She heaved a sigh of relief and began practicing her lay-ups. The ball went in perfectly every time. Next she tried doing her long shots. She bent her knees and supported the ball with her left hand. She jumped and gently flicked her wrist and …

Swoosh!

The ball went in beautifully.

A smile lit her face and she went to retrieve the ball. However, she stopped short when she saw the ball making its way to someone's feet, someone who had been on her mind all day.

Hanamichi was making his way to the basketball court. He had made up his mind to tell Haruko about his feelings even at the risk of getting rejected and even though he knew that Haruko loved the kitsune. He just couldn't keep everything in any longer. He walked to the entrance of the open-air court and was about to walk in when he heard a thumping sound, that of rubber on concrete. Someone had gotten there before him. With his curiosity piqued, he silently stepped in and what he saw took his breath away.

She was there attempting a long shot. Her hair was firmly tied back in a simple ponytail but some loose locks flew about her face as she jumped into the air with grace. A slight flick of her wrist and the ball soared beautifully into the air before descending accurately into the net. She smiled, definitely satisfied, and made her way towards the ball. The ball stopped on his feet and she stopped when she saw him.

Haruko's first expression upon seeing him was that of shock. She had hoped fervently that the one who occupied her thoughts would not show up. But there he was standing right before her with a look of awe on his face. Haruko was the one to recover first. Her face instantly lit up with happiness.

"Hanamichi!" Haruko made her way towards him. Her façade was one of happiness seeing a friend while inside she was trying to ignore her rapidly beating heart.

Hanamichi blushed seeing that wonderful smile on her face. He had made up his mind that he would tell Haruko how he felt but it was easier said than done. He could barely even keep his composure at the sight of her. He avoided looking into her eyes and hoped that she would think that the blush was just the light of the afternoon sun playing on his face. He raised a hand in greeting and tried to keep voice from wavering.

"Haruko" He grinned that lopsided grin.

"Fancy seeing you here Hanamichi. I haven't seen you all day. Come on, let's practice." Haruko was trying her best to act normal and so was Hanamichi.

"Right. Let's go." Hanamichi picked the ball up and with that the two started practicing. Hanamichi was easily distracted by Haruko's graceful moves and this made it easy for Haruko to get through his defense. He could not concentrate especially since it was Haruko he was playing against.

On the other hand, Haruko was in the same boat as Hanamichi but that did not stop her from concentrating solely on the game. She pushed back every thought occupying her earlier and concentrated on the game.

Whenever his hand accidentally brushed against Haruko's, Hanamichi would blush, savoring the soft touch.

The game went on until the sun finally set. A midnight blue was engulfing the horizon and there were still a few streaks of pink, yellow and orange in the western sky.

Both of them collapsed onto the hard concrete ground panting for breath.

"Hanamichi, wait here. I'll go get some water."

Hanamichi sat up quickly, "Hold on. I'll come with you"

Haruko opened her sports bag and got out two bottles of water. She made her way to the concrete bench against the wall and sat down. Hanamichi sat down beside her. Both of their hearts were thumping wildly. Whether it was from exhaustion or from the proximity of their physical closeness they didn't know.

She handed him the water bottle. Hanamichi took it gratefully and drank the contents. Haruko did the same. Hanamichi watched as a trickle of water ran down from the corner of her mouth, tracing her jaw line, down her neck and underneath her shirt. He quickly looked away, another blush forming on his cheeks.

Oh no! I am blushing again! I seem to be doing that a lot lately.

For some reason, he was feeling a bit restless being so near her.

"Hey, Hanamichi, did Yohei anything to you about Fuji? Anything at all?"

Hanamichi snapped out of his thoughts with a surprised look on his face.

"Yeah, he did. He told me that he was going to ask her out. You know, since it's Valentine's Day and all. But, how did you know?"

"That's great. I was talking with Fuji after school today and suddenly we bumped into Yohei. You should have seen their faces. They were beet red. From what I could see, Fuji really likes Yohei."

"Yohei's lucky. Well, I knew that he had a thing for Fuji all along." A question suddenly popped up in his mind.

He hesitated a little before asking, "Haruko, I was wondering. Do you have someone … special?" His voice was sincere. Deep inside he was hoping that she did not have anyone special. He stared intently into her baby blue eyes as if trying to find out the answer. His face had suddenly become serious. Hanamichi never fooled around when it came to matters of the heart. That was one thing that he always took seriously.

Haruko was a bit taken aback by the question. She clearly did not expect such a serious question from Sakuragi. She looked up at Hanamichi's face and was surprised that he looked so serious. She blushed unexpectedly under his gaze. Her heart was now beating wildly. Her every thought was centered on Hanamichi.

"Yes. I do. Well … kind of." The answer spilled forth from her lips before she could even think.

Hanamichi was ready for this. He knew that she liked the kitsune. But it still hurt. He had suffered a lot of heartbreaks before, but this was different. He averted her gaze and trying to hide his disappointment, he asked, "You do? Do I know him?"

Haruko looked away as well.

"Well, yes. You do know him."

"Oh." Hanamichi sank into a deeper state of hopelessness. " Who is it?"

"Hmm." Haruko put a finger on her chin as if thinking of something. "I'll give you hints. It's pretty easy to figure out actually."

"He goes to Shohoku too. He plays basketball. He has flaming red hair and he's tall. And he has a warm smile that always cheers me up and to say the least, he is a bit of a troublemaker. I have known him for only a year but it feel as if I have known him for forever."

Sakuragi was relieved to say the least.

The kitsune does not have red hair. He is tall but he never smiles. Feh. He never even tries to talk to a girl. Wait. Does that mean that Haruko is not in love with the kitsune? Yes, that must be it!

Sakuragi's face brightened up.

Hanamichi was so overwhelmed with relief that he blurted out, "Haruko, does that mean that you are not in love with Kaede?"

Haruko eyes widened with shock. Hanamichi had known that she had been in love with Kaede?

Well, I guess anybody could see that. But I don't feel anything for him now.

She took a deep breath. "Hanamichi. I'll be honest. Yes, I did love Kaede. But I know that he'll never love me back. So I've decided to move on. I think that I am in love with someone else now. What I had for Kaede was not love, just infatuation. But this time, I can feel it. I really am in love with someone. Someone very special."

"Haruko, who is it?" He whispered. He had totally forgotten about this other person she was in love with, someone other than Rukawa. He leaned in closer to hear her answer.

And I thought people called me naïve!

Haruko sighed, " And I thought I was already being too obvious. Just think about it Sakuragi."

Hanamichi furrowed his eyebrows in concentration.

So he goes to Shohoku. Flaming red hair. Tall. Basketball player. Smiling. Troublemaker. And Haruko has known him for only a year. Who could it be? Whoever this is better take care of my Haruko or I'll beat this redhead into a … Wait! Redhead? But I am the only boy in the school with red hair. Does that mean …no, it can't be!

Hanamichi's eyes widened with the sudden realization. He turned to Haruko with inquiring eyes. Haruko was looking at his face intently.

"Haruko" He whispered. "Does that mean..."

He left the question hanging in the air. He still couldn't believe it was true. Here he was thinking about how to confess to her all day long but it was all happening the other way around. Haruko was waiting for his answer. Hanamichi stared at her, shock evident in his eyes.

Haruko looked down on her lap. "Hanamichi, it's okay if you don't feel he same, I understand…."

She made to get up but as soon as she did Hanamichi's strong arms instantly pulled her down on his lap. Hanamichi had acted on impulse. He knew that it was now or never.

"H-hanamichi" Haruko was surprised be his sudden act. She was all too aware of their current position.

"Haruko." He boldly whispered in her ear. "I … love you. I always have ever since the first time I saw you. I was just … too afraid to tell you because I knew you loved Kaede… You are the first girl who has ever accepted me for who I really am. Thank you." His voice was filled with intense passion.

Haruko looked up into his chocolate brown eyes.

Beautiful.

Again acting on pure impulse, Hanamichi bent his head down. Haruko felt herself drawn towards him by those beautiful eyes. They could feel each other's breath on their faces. Firm lips met soft ones. Hanamichi wrapped his arms around her pulling her closer. The kiss was only a tender touch at first but slowly it ignited. Haruko brought one hand up to cup his angular jaw and the other hand was tangled in his flaming red hair. They savored the touch of each other's lips. Time seemed to stand still. There was no one but the two of them, lost in their own world of ecstasy. The kiss ended all too soon for them. Both of them were flushed. Whether it was due to lack of air or their physical closeness they didn't know.

"Haruko," Hanamichi whispered against her lips. "Will you be my Valentine?"

"Yes." Haruko whispered back. Vaguely, at the back of her mind, she wondered what her aniki would do if he found out that she loved Sakuragi Hanamichi. She pushed the thought away. For now she would just be content.

Both of them had found true love.

The magic of Valentine's Day. Love is in the air.

A/N: So how was it? Good/Bad/Okay? How was it for a first time try? This idea just popped into my head out of the blue. I was thinking of doing a RukawaxHaruko fic but then I thought, "Most people do that. Why not try something different?" So that's how I came to write a HarukoxHanamichi fic. I tried to be as intricate about the details as possible. Hope it didn't bore you. As I said before, a constructive review would be greatly appreciated. Adieu!


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